tambourine

American  

[tam-buh-reen] / ˌtæm bəˈrin /

noun

1. a small drum consisting of a circular frame with a skin stretched over it and several pairs of metal jingles attached to the frame, played by striking with the knuckles, shaking, and the like.

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tambourine British  

/ ˌtæmbəˈriːn /

noun

1. music a percussion instrument consisting of a single drumhead of skin stretched over a circular wooden frame hung with pairs of metal discs that jingle when it is struck or shaken

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Other Word Forms

• tambourinist noun

Etymology

Origin of tambourine

1570–80; earlier tamboryne < Middle Dutch tamborijn small drum < Middle French tambourin or Medieval Latin tamborīnum. See tambour, -ine ¹

Explanation

The tambourine is a portable percussion instrument that you shake or strike against your leg or palm. If you want to be in a band with your friends but you don't know how to play an instrument, you could try playing the tambourine. Tambourines are round and look like shallow drums (sometimes with an actual drumhead) with several pairs of metal disks that jingle against each other when you shake or tap the tambourine. The earliest meaning of tambourine was "small drum," from the diminutive of the French tambour, "drum."

Example Sentences

Abbey loves “everything” about the music and dancing she tells me, excited to share that Mic personally gave her the tambourine and a few other instruments too.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

Kostelnik took his place with the band, and got paid for playing the tambourine for the hourlong set.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

The Roses gave Nick his first recording credit too as the then 16-year-old played tambourine on their hit single Love Spreads, still their highest placing single, which reached number two in 1994.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2025

While Kat says he can’t buy a guitar every time he messes up, he jokes and tells her he can buy her drums, a tambourine and other band instruments.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2024

“As we left Toledo, Father told me to play the tambourine and sing,” I tell our family.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar